For Immediate Release
June 4, 2018.
 
Contact: Mari Nemec
(202) 637-7661 / mari@lgbtbar.org
 
Statement on Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
 
Washington, D.C. - The National LGBT Bar Association is devastated by the Supreme Court’s decision on Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.
 
In a true attack on our Constitutional rights, the US Supreme Court today ruled in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop.
 
In October 2017, the LGBT Bar joined Muslim Advocates, Public Rights/Private Conscience Project, and 12 other groups in filing an amicus brief with the Court in Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. We believe the rights of minority groups to be free from the oppression of a majority religion cannot be infringed. Freedom of religion is an important and cherished right guaranteed in our Constitution, but that right does not and should not give anyone the right to treat certain Americans as second-class citizens. 
 
Discrimination under the guise of so-called "religious freedom" must not be allowed to flourish. LGBT Americans deserve the same respect and dignity their heterosexual and cisgender friends, neighbors, family, and countrymen deserve. We must continue to fight against discrimination in all its forms, whether it be through the legislature or the courts. This is not the end.
 
There is still much work to be done. We will continue to work, day in and day out, to ensure that our community is protected. We understand that the courts and the law are the last frontier in securing our rights and we'll do everything we can to ensure a forward momentum.